Dates & Prices

Minimum Age

Quick Facts

Destination

Dates & Prices

Adventure Type

Minimum Age

14 (16 at high water)

Adventure Level

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Adventure level –

An approximation of what adventure level (from easier to challenging) you should expect to encounter under typical conditions on this trip. Note: Even an “easier” trip can become “challenging”due to weather, water level, or your personal choice of boat and/or hiking options.

Class IV+ rapids; cold water with high flip/swim potential

River Rating

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River Rating –

Most rivers are rated on a scale of I – VI: from Class I, moving water with riffles and small waves, to Class VI, extreme whitewater not commercially navigable.

Quick Facts

Adventure Type

Whitewater Rafting

Adventure Level

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Adventure level –

An approximation of what adventure level (from easier to challenging) you should expect to encounter under typical conditions on this trip. Note: Even an “easier” trip can become “challenging”due to weather, water level, or your personal choice of boat and/or hiking options.

Class IV+ rapids; cold water with high flip/swim potential

River Rating

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River Rating –

Most rivers are rated on a scale of I – VI: from Class I, moving water with riffles and small waves, to Class VI, extreme whitewater not commercially navigable.

Highlights

North Fork American River rafting in the beautiful California foothills

Snowmelt creates nonstop Class IV whitewater rafting action

Paddle through a beautiful gorge with 2000-foot cliffs, green grass, wildflowers and forests

Adventure Overview

The Wild & Scenic North Fork of the American River near Sacramento, CA provides an extraordinary California whitewater rafting experience. The North Fork of the American is the most challenging fork of the American River, and rapid after Class IV rapid deliver nearly non-stop, white-knuckling whitewater, followed by a stretch of more moderate Class II-III rapids. Intricate boulder gardens, rushing falls and staircase drops promise intense paddling and plenty of adrenaline-inspiring thrills through the 2000-foot cliffs as blankets of green grass and colorful wildflowers amidst black oak and pine forests provide a spectacular backdrop. This trip is an easy jaunt from Sacramento, Lake Tahoe or the Bay Area and well worth the journey for both exhilarating whitewater and classic California wilderness scenery.

Itinerary & Map

Our North Fork American River rafting trip begins with tumultuous river action which starts immediately as the rafts enter Chamberlain Falls Gorge. Class IV rapids and the crashing 8-foot Chamberlain Falls provide a surefire surge of adrenaline

Zig-Zag, Achilles Heal and Bogus Thunder are among the continuous steep drops and boulder slaloms we negotiate

After several miles of aggressive paddling through some of the state’s best whitewater, the end of the Class IV section nears, but not before facing Staircase, the river's most infamous rapid

Colfax-Iowa Hill Road bridge. Put-in (start) for OARS North Fork American Whitewater Rafting trips. The North Fork American River was granted Wild and Scenic status in1978. This classic California whitewater river is free flowing, with spring run-off dependent on Sierra snow pack. This river is typically run from April through May, when the wildflowers are in full bloom. The area around the North Fork of the American River is paradise for hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts.

Mile 0.4

FLAKE ROCK. There is a 10-foot high knife-edge rock that guards the right side of the entrance to Slaughter’s Sluice rapid.

Mile 0.5

SLAUGHTER’S SLUICE (III-IV) There are house-sized rocks in this boulder slalom rapid that require attentive paddling. Most of the boulders you see have been rolled downstream by floods and have been caught in the narrow, constricted canyon.

Mile 0.8

CHAMBERLAIN’S FALLS (IV+) The river funnels into a narrow slot with an eight foot drop, pushing the boat into a big reversal, also known as a hole, at the bottom. You may be caught in a turbulent eddy between the reversal and the left bank.

Mile 1.6

ZIG ZAG (IV) Lots of tricky boulder dodging and attentive paddling. Start center and move right then quickly back to the left.

Mile 2.0

FERN WALL. On river left there is a wall of ferns and wildflowers.

Mile 2.4

BOGUS THUNDER (IV) Another classic North Fork of the American River rapid. This boulder slalom is most difficult at low water when the right side becomes very rocky.

Mile 2.7

GRAND SLALOM (IV) A collection of very large boulders form a long, technical maze.

Mile 3.0

STAIRCASE (IV+) There are three river-wide ledges in this rapid. The rapid begins with a drop into some waves, followed by a right ferry aided by slow moving water, followed by a final move to line-up for the drops. Below Staircase rapid are high ledges along both banks that are “hard accumulations of lava with pillow structures, indicating that they were formed on the ocean floor 350 million years ago.”

Mile 3.3

Canyon Creek, river left.

Mile 3.8

Indian Creek, river left, leads to a picturesque 30-foot waterfall.

Mile 5.0

River Access. Shirttail Canyon Creek, river left, just above the Colfax-Foresthill Road bridge.

Mile 6.5

Brushy Creek, river right.

Mile 7.5

Big Bend. The river makes a long, horseshoe-shaped bend.

Mile 9

Ponderosa Way Bridge. Take out. Hot/cold drinks and a return shuttle to your vehicle wait at the take-out of your OARS North Fork American River rafting trip.

Reviews

“What I like the most is knowing I can always rely on OARS to do a great job. The guides are excellent and the trips are always very well organized. I particularly appreciate that OARS pays careful attention to safety. For example, on this trip, I noticed that there was both a safety boat and a rescue kayak. My guide gave an excellent ‘safety talk’ before the trip, and, then, before the most challenging rapids, again emphasized key precautions. I think the North Fork American is a great trip. Even though it’s only a one-day trip, it provides a real sense of wilderness and adventure. I intend to go on the North Fork with OARS again next year.”

–Diane McCarthy ~El Dorado Hills, CA

“The guides were friendly, practiced, and extremely laid back – it really makes all the difference to remember your life is in the hands of the guides and then have really caring, capable people.”